Vegetable Lo Mein Recipe: Flavorful Stir-Fried Noodles

This quick and easy 20-Minute Vegetable Lo Mein is an ideal healthy vegetarian or vegan dinner idea when you need something fast, flavorful, and packed with vegetables.

Lo Mein

Lo mein is a comforting, savory noodle dish prized for its bold sauce, tender noodles, and a mix of crisp-tender vegetables. This vegetable lo mein is colorful and full of texture with carrots, broccoli, snow peas, bell pepper, and shiitake mushrooms. It’s a satisfying stir-fry-style meal that makes a great main course for a family dinner. If you prefer more protein, you can easily add sautéed tofu, shrimp, chicken, or scrambled eggs to make it heartier. For variety, try other noodle stir-fries such as soba noodle veggie stir-fry or a spicy noodle stir-fry with chicken.

This recipe is adapted from Brittany Mullins’ cookbook Mostly Veggies: Easy Make-Ahead Meals for Healthy Living. The recipe keeps lo mein simple and vegetable-forward, swapping traditional egg noodles for whole-wheat spaghetti to add fiber while preserving the familiar tossed-noodle texture. The vegetables are the highlight — broccoli florets soak up the sauce, and crunchy snow peas and grated carrots add color and bite.

“Growing up, my go-to order from my local Chinese takeout restaurant was always lo mein, but I hadn’t had it in years…until I began working on this recipe. Lo mein comes together quickly with vegetables, protein, and a sesame oil–based sauce. The noodles are fully cooked and tossed into a wok or skillet with stir-fried vegetables and sauce. Egg noodles are traditional, but whole-wheat spaghetti boosts the nutrition a bit. The star here is the variety of vegetables — they bring color, nutrition, and crunch. Broccoli florets are my favorite because they soak up so much sauce and become very flavorful.” — Brittany Mullins

What is lo mein?

Lo mein is a classic Chinese noodle dish made with soft wheat noodles that are tossed with stir-fried vegetables, and optionally meat or seafood, in a savory sauce. The Cantonese name loosely means “tossed noodles,” reflecting the simple, fast technique of mixing fully cooked noodles with stir-fried ingredients and sauce.

Is veggie lo mein healthy?

This homemade vegetable lo mein is a healthier alternative to most takeout options. A single serving is moderate in calories and offers a good balance of carbohydrates, protein, and fiber, along with vitamins and minerals from the vegetables. Swapping in whole-wheat pasta adds extra fiber, and the recipe can be made lower in sodium by using reduced-sodium tamari or coconut aminos.

What You’ll Need

The ingredients below give you everything needed to make a flavorful, veggie-forward lo mein. Exact measurements are listed in the ingredients section that follows.

• Noodles: Any long noodle works; whole-wheat spaghetti boosts fiber and keeps the dish accessible.
• Mushrooms: Shiitake stems removed and thinly sliced for meaty flavor.
• Bell Pepper: Red bell pepper is colorful, but any color works.
• Carrots: Grated carrots add sweet crunch and color.
• Garlic: Fresh minced garlic provides aromatic depth.
• Broccoli: Small florets cook quickly and absorb sauce.
• Snow Peas: Crisp, sweet peas add freshness; sugar snap peas are a fine substitute.
• Seasoning & Garnish: Salt to taste and sliced green onions to finish.
• Lo Mein Sauce: A mix of reduced-sodium tamari or soy sauce (or coconut aminos), grated fresh ginger, a touch of honey or maple syrup for sweetness, toasted sesame oil, and sriracha for heat.

Ingredients

How to Make Lo Mein

1. Cook the noodles: Bring a large pot of salted water to a rapid boil. Cook the spaghetti until just shy of al dente, about 8 to 12 minutes depending on the pasta, then drain. You want the noodles to be slightly undercooked since they’ll finish in the skillet with the sauce.
2. Mix the sauce: While the noodles cook, whisk together the tamari/soy sauce, grated ginger, honey or maple syrup, toasted sesame oil, and sriracha in a bowl until well combined.
3. Stir-fry the vegetables: Heat the oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the sliced mushrooms, bell pepper, grated carrots, and minced garlic. Stir frequently and cook until the vegetables begin to soften, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the broccoli florets and snow peas, season with the 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and cook another 2 to 3 minutes until the broccoli is bright and tender-crisp.
4. Toss and finish: Add the drained noodles and the prepared sauce to the skillet. Toss everything together until the noodles are coated and heated through. Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt or a splash more tamari if needed. Divide into four bowls and garnish with sliced green onions.

How to Meal Prep Lo Mein

Veggie lo mein stores well and makes an excellent meal-prep entree. Keep it refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Divide into four meal prep containers and reheat in the microwave for 1–2 minutes or warm gently on the stovetop until heated through. If reheating on the stove, add a splash of water or tamari to restore moisture.

Variations

• Noodle options: Use traditional egg noodles, udon, spaghetti, or rice noodles depending on preference.
• Mushroom swap: Substitute baby bellas or white button mushrooms if shiitakes aren’t available.
• Vegetable swaps: Almost any vegetable works—bok choy, cauliflower, sliced onions, water chestnuts, or bamboo shoots make great additions.
• Add protein: Stir-fried tofu, shrimp, chicken, or scrambled eggs will make the dish more filling.
• Gluten-free: Use tamari labeled gluten-free or coconut aminos.
• Heat level: Adjust sriracha to taste or replace with chili garlic sauce for a different spicy profile.

Notes

• Serve immediately: Divide lo mein into bowls, garnish with sliced green onions, and serve hot.
• Meal prep: Store in airtight containers for up to 5 days; reheat before serving.
• Reheat: Microwave for 1–2 minutes or warm on the stove until hot. Add a splash of water or tamari if needed to refresh the sauce.

Nutrition (per serving)

Serving: 1/4 of recipe — Calories: 354 kcal; Carbohydrates: 60.5 g; Protein: 13.5 g; Fat: 9 g; Saturated Fat: 1.5 g; Sodium: 1043.5 mg; Fiber: 9.5 g; Sugar: 11.5 g.

More Healthy Takeout Recipes You’ll Love

If you enjoy recreating healthier versions of takeout favorites, try dishes such as Kung Pao Tofu, Broccoli Beef, Wonton Soup, Pepper Steak, or House Special Fried Rice. These recipes lighten classic flavors while keeping the authenticity and satisfying taste of your favorite meals.

Yield: 4 servings • Prep time: 5 mins • Cook time: 15 mins • Total time: 20 mins

If you try this Veggie Lo Mein, consider leaving a rating or brief comment — feedback helps refine recipes and lets others know how it turned out in your kitchen.